Sounders in good shape, convoluted MLS playoff system needs help

Check out the nonsensical playoff approach. See if you can figure it out with logic. Or go solve Fermat’s Last Theorem. That would take less time.

In MLS, a team from the Western Conference can be the Eastern Conference champion, like Real Salt Lake last season. Not to be outdone, a team from the Eastern Conference can win the Western Conference side of the playoffs, like when the New York Red Bulls did so two years ago.

The league eschews the traditional, and logical, playoff formatting. Much of it renders regular season results less meaningful. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid would like it changed.

“I have long been a proponent of what they do, like, in the NBA,” Schmid said. “If you win your division, you get an automatic. But then when they actually seed the playoffs, get to the matchups, it’s 1 against 8, 2 against 7. I think that’s the appropriate way to do it.

“It’s lost its point anyway in that thing so you can call it whatever you want to call it but I think 1 versus 8, 2 versus 7 is better; my opinion. I think that’s something the league will look at but obviously they don’t want to change the system every year.”

The Sounders, who clinched a playoff spot last week, would play the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round in a matchup between the Western Conference No. 4 seed and No. 1 seed. Seattle would host the first leg Halloween night at 5 p.m. That start date and time is applicable no matter who the Sounders end up playing.

Real Salt Lake would be the two seed in the West and play FC Dallas, the three seed in the West.

In the Eastern Conference bracket, the New York Red Bulls would be the top seed and deal with the Colorado Rapids. Columbus would be No. 2 and face San Jose.

If MLS did this in a traditional format, there would also be drawbacks. Just taking the top four from each conference would leave San Jose (43 points) and Colorado (42) out, and put Kansas City (36) and Chicago (32) in.

This is all predicated on how MLS does things now. The top two teams from each conference automatically qualify. The remaining four slots are determined via wild card slots according to total points; conference affiliation is meaningless.

With the current system, Schmid wouldn’t mind being seventh overall.

“The advantage to seventh is that if you’re seventh and you win your series and number eight wins their series you could be at home in the conference final, whichever conference that might be,” Schmid said. “But you could be at home in that conference final so there is a certain advantage to seventh.

“I try not to look at it because I learned a long time ago that I don’t wish for this team or that team. If you finish sixth or eighth than even if you win your series you are still going to be on the road for the conference final. [. . .] Being East or West doesn’t matter.”

The Sounders are thankful to be in this discussion after the dismal first half of the season. Now they’re the hottest team in the league, no matter how they are seeded.
Note: Friday night is Fan Appreciation Night. There will be numerous giveaways and a concert by Cody Beebe and the Crooks and Grammatrain will begin at 6 p.m. in the North Lot.